Notice Board

Thursday, 13 April 2017

Easter Recycling and Weekly Waste Collections

Swale Borough Council recycling and weekly waste collections are unchanged over the Easter break.

Upchurch Matters

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Wednesday, 12 April 2017

Notice of Annual Parish Meeting for Upchurch

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972

NOTICE OF ANNUAL PARISH MEETING

FOR UPCHURCH

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT -

The Annual Assembly of the Parish Meeting for Upchurch will be held at Upchurch Village Hall on

Thursday 20 April 2017 at 7:30pm

Local Government electors for the Parish will be entitled to vote at the Meeting which will be open to the public.

The business to be transacted at the Meeting will be as follows:-

1. Minutes of the last Annual Parish Meeting held on 21 April 2016

2. Matters Arising from the minutes

3. Report of the Chairman of Upchurch Parish Council

4. To receive reports from local organisations

5. Presentation of the KALC Community Award

6. To receive questions and comments from parishioners.

7. Defibrillator demonstration by Sittingbourne Community First Responder

Light refreshments will be served at the end of the meeting.

Mrs Wendy Licence

Clerk to the Council

Tel: 01634 363906

Email: clerkupc@outlook.com

Website: www.upchurchpc.kentparishes.gov.uk

Upchurch Parish Council

10^th April 2017

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Tuesday, 11 April 2017

Upchurch Parish Council Report - April 2017

Report of the Parish Council meeting held on 6^th April 2017

Cllr Tyrone Ripley (Chairman), Cllr John Arnold (Vice Chairman), Cllr Pam Denny, Cllr Alan Horton, Cllr Steven Hunt, Cllr Gerry Lewin, Cllr Pater Masson, Cllr Louis Newbery and

Cllr Gary Rosewell.

Clerk Mrs Wendy Licence.

Planning

Address: The Cart Lodge Chaffes Lane Upchurch Sittingbourne Kent

Ref: 17/501423/FULL

Proposal: Proposed conversion of the existing garage to a habitable room

Ref: 17/501424/LBC

Proposal: Listed Building Consent for proposed conversion of the existing garage to a habitable room

Councillors considered the applications and had no comment to make save that neighbours comments be taken into consideration.

Ref: 17/501609/FULL

Address: Land At Kent Terrace Canterbury Lane Upchurch Kent ME8 8QP

Proposal: Minor material amendment to condition 7 of planning permission ref 14/506519/FULL ( Redevelopment of existing landscape contractor's yard and land surrounding Kent Terrace to provide 13 dwelling houses and an extension to the existing terrace with associated car parking and landscaping. In addition, a ground floor rear extension to Number 15 Kent Terrace. Amendments) - revised layout so as to incorporate a pumping station that would be used for the disposal of foul sewage for units 15 - 28 (inclusive) and turning head tracking

Councillors considered the applications and had no comment to make save that neighbours’ comments be taken into consideration.

Ref: 17/501521/FULL

Address: 2 Wetham Green Cottages Wetham Green Upchurch Kent ME9 7EY

Proposal: Replacement of existing fence with a 6ft high fence.

Councillors felt there was not enough detail but had no objections and assume a visibility splay will be allowed for neighbor access to the highway.

Cllr Ripley and Cllr Rosewell had attended the Swale Planning meeting. The application for 116 Oak Lane was discussed and the proposal has raised highways issues in Oak Lane so officers will consult with the applicant.

The issues in Holywell Lane are being monitored and dealt with by Swale Borough Council Planning Enforcement.

Allotments

The Parish Council heard from some allotment holders about their concerns regarding the rent increase and the tenancy agreement.

Cllr Ripley explained the increase was necessary as the allotments have run at a loss for a number of years and the new tenancy agreement has been approved by a solicitor. Councillors are seeking to work with plot holders to make the site a better place to be.

The Paddock

A Councillor had received a complaint about dogs in the Paddock as a German shepherd had jumped up at a child. Owners are requested to keep dogs on a lead and under control.

The Conservation Officer has been consulted and he has no concerns if a concrete slab is laid under the picnic benches to secure them.

The Church Clock

The church clock will be monitored to see what is needed to ensure power cuts do not disrupt its timing.

The Twinning Group

Councillors were informed the Twinning Group needs a new secretary. The Group had received a message of condolence to the people of Upchurch for the atrocity in Westminster from Ferques.

Date of next meetings:

Annual Parish Council Meeting - Thursday 4^th May 2017 at 7:30pm

Planning and General Purposes Committees - Wednesday 17^th May at 7:30pm

Wendy Licence

Clerk to the Parish Council

Tel: 01634 363906
Email: clerkupc@outlook.com
Website: www.upchurchpc.kentparishes.gov.uk

Boot Fair at Westmoor Farm

The first Boot Fair of 2017 is this Easter Sunday, the 16th at Westmoor Farm on the A2, Rainham ME8 8QF.

PLEASE NOTE: There will be none held at the field on the Lower Rainham Road this year. They will all be at Westmoor Farm.

If the Boot Fair is cancelled due to bad weather, a message will be left on the Nursery’s answering machine after 5:00am on the day.

Please call: 01634 378886 to check.

Ian Scott

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Monday, 10 April 2017

April News from Upchurch Horticultural Society - From the Potting Shed

Sponsored by Upchurch River Valley Golf Club - www.rivervalleygolf.co.uk

April is upon us and there is nowhere to hide in the garden. There is simply not enough space to list all the jobs to be done...so don’t do them. Gardening is meant to be fun not stressful. If you managed to get all the preparation work done in March then you are off to a good start, if not, then now is the time.

Keep the blades high on your lawnmower until the end of the month and then do the first real cut. The lawn can do with a lot of maintenance this month. Scarify the dead thatch with a spring tine rake and aerate compacted soil with a garden fork. Sow bare patches with seed and if you have the time scratch the surface of the soil to loosen it which will allow the seed to get beneath the surface. Perform the first weed and feed using a high nitrogen fertiliser to get the grass greened up and kill off the weeds and moss. If required tidy up the edges with a half-moon cutter and cut the soil so that it slopes back slightly.

Plant lily bulbs in pots, ideally 3 in a 12” container and read up on lily beetle. This is a particularly charming little pest that will ruin the whole show. Picking off the adult beetles is the best approach before they produce grubs which cover themselves in excrement for protection. Divide primroses when they have finished flowering and I just can’t help collecting snow drops seeds when they separate from the stem and spreading them around. Mulch trees and shrubs with well rotted manure, evergreens can be transplanted at this time and apply slow release fertiliser to roses and fruit plants. Prune Forsythia as soon as it has finished flowering and ensure there is no more than three years growth on the main stem laterals. Without pruning, the plant becomes a tangled mass of sub-laterals with little flower...now you know why! Trim heathers so they do not become leggy and deadhead winter pansies to get a bit more out of them. Pots and containers will need watering as the temperatures increase.

On the vegetable patch you may be picking asparagus. Maincrop potatoes need to be planted up and the best place is in grow bags in compost. However, I am old fashioned and put mine in the ground. New potatoes are grown to be boiled or steamed but maincrop can be mashed, chipped, baked etc, so choose a variety that suits your taste. If it’s all too complicated go for the “allotment favourite” which is Cara, probably the best all round potato. Parsnip, cabbage, carrot and radish seed can go into the ground. Prepare the soil so that you have a fine raked tilth. Other seeds can go into pots or modular trays. Do not over water, the compost only needs to be moist, runner beans will rot in wet compost and other seedlings will be prone to fungus and “damp off”. Also watch out for the first hot day which will scorch tender seedlings. Plant out strawberry beds making sure to enrich the soil with plenty of well rotted manure and position cloches.

We are always looking for new members and try to encourage a fun attitude towards friendly competition. So if you want to grow your own fruit, vegetables and flowers or even enter any of the 3 shows we hold each year, then please get in touch, we would be happy to hear from you.

If you are interested in becoming a new member, (all ages are welcome), please contact Rosey on: 01634 377812 (evenings) or Email: rosemary@ringwoodaccounting .co.uk

Sean Barry - Upchurch Horticultural Society

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